Doctor is sending my son to find out if he has Autism. What do you think?

Cheri - posted on 04/08/2011
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My son is 2yrs old. He makes great eye contact. He sayes a few words but not many. He has lil things that erk him. Exp. his food can not be broken, he can't be dirty, and if you touch his trains or anything that has trains on it he will flip out. (Trains are his life and the main word he sayes) He crys most of the day. He does attact his older sister; pulls her hair, bite, push, hit (daily). He has major tanstrums. Where you can't touch him. He is very lovalbe to me but his dad can't help him, hold him nothing. Also he has a hard time remembering who ppl are (family) He does know some body parts. Also he brakes everything! He doesn't seem to understand that he is doing wrong. Rather its braking something or hurting someone. He seems to be having fun when he does it! What do you think?

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Sarah - posted on 04/11/2011

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Cheri, as many others have noted, it does sound like your son might be on the autism spectrum somewhere. A lot of the behaviors that you are describing can also be explained by OCD or sensory processing dysfunction. Both conditions are commonly co-morbid, or overlapping with autism.

I have a 15 year old with mild autism who wasn't diagnosed until he was 11. I also have a 5 year old with NO autism. Both have mild sensory issues that we *know* about but are not bad enough for us to take them to OT for. I think that you would get a lot from a book called "the out of sync child" by Carol stock Kranowitz. She lays out the different sensory issues in a way that parents can understand without feeling like they are being treated like idiots. I have never read the book cover to cover, but I love it!! The book isn't going to change my boys, but understanding what makes them tick makes it a little easier to deal with. She also gives strategies for changing little things around the child, which in turn helps the child have more appropriate behavior and responses.

27 Comments

I know this doesn't have much to do with the question at hand, but does he seem to get a bloated belly a lot? a lot of his crying spells may be caused by a minor intolerance to milk products. before my son even got diagnosed with Autism, i started paying attn to the little things like that. one great book to read is "Louder Than Words" By Jennie McCarthy. it taught me about the Gluten-Casein Free diet. Before we started the diet with CJ, my son, he would have those out bursts and he would even go as far as to throwing things at people. I learned that a lot that can go wrong with the "autism brain" starts in the stomach. I started the diet before we got him diagnosed and the diagnosis slipped through a neurologist's fingers. he didn't notice any of what we were saying was going on. the only thing that was going wrong that day was everything had to be spinning. We went to a DAN dr to get him diagnosed. (Defeat Autism Now)

Well I have him is speech, early on, play group and soon tote. Early on is where a lady comes over and does fun things with him, group is all kids his age, and tote is where a special ed teacher comes to the house and then when he go's into school he will go into special ed.

The gut and the brain connection... think of it like drinking beer... you drink it and it goes in your gut and affects your brain... Most ASD kids have gut issues that can cause some of the development issues (eyecontact,speech, sleep and so on) and healing the gut seems to be the key. My girl is the same with the BMs we are waiting on her labs to come back to start her treatments. we just got her in to the early education program with the local school (testing/evaluation to get in) Her doc didn't want to make any major changes while she was getting use to school. I have to say the getting her in school has made big improvements with her attempting to say words and her interaction with others and eye contact!

They give babies a Heb-B shot shortly after birth(24-48hrs) That one shot and all the toxins in it could have effected him when he was so fragile. Then the schedule has them getting several more at 8wks My girl has had 30 shots in 2 yrs b/c we followed the CDC shot schedule on her pediatrician's advice. Right after her 12month shots is when she started regressing. It all has to do with tolerances and everyone has thresholds and when their systems become overwhelmed they stop functioning normally and ASD is the result is may cases. From what I have read/researched ADD & ADHD is being linked to this as well...

The not sleeping through the night could be stomach/gut issues... He could be waking because of it. How are his BMs? loose? foul? weird color? Just FYI the "Developmental Specialist" that diagnosed my girl was not open to talking to me about treatments other than therapies and drugs.(no intrest in testing stool, urine or hair) So I found a DAN! doc that I love! Because it is a "spectrum" everyone is effected differently and treatments must be tailored to that individual. good luck Cheri!

http://www.autism.com/pro_danlists_resul... This is a link to the Autism Research Institute there is a small drop down menu that says "find a clinician" This is where I found my daughter's DAN!(Defeat Autism Now!) Doctor. A lot of this docs are parents of ASD kids and have helped them recover! The sooner treatment begins the better! This book I found very helpful too. http://www.juliebuckley.com/ written by a pediatrician turned DAN! doctor when her 4yr went into seizures after getting her 4yr old vaccines when she came out of it she was ASD but she is now recovered and in gifted programs! I believe that the shots have caused my daughter's ASD and all the research that I do keep pointing me back to the vaccines. Good luck and God bless you and your family on this journey and know that you are not alone!

A lady from early on came by yesterday and see is having him put in t.o.t.e. Also another question is sleeping at night is a big thing with him. Sometimes he'll wake up 9 times a night or like last night before he went to bed he kept screaming, crying, pointing to the wall. I could not figure out for the life of me what was wrong. Then about a hr or so later some how I guessed to rub his knee (he got a boo boo there weeks ago and it drives him crazy that here is a itty bitty scab) So after about 1/2 hr of rubbing his knee. He went to bed. Then in the middle of the night he started flipping out again! This time I didn't figure out what was wrong! He does they often where he will wake up at night and will flip out 2-3hrs. With no way of calming him. Then he'll go back to sleep and wake up at 7am like no big deal. In a great mood, running around. Needless to say I'm about to fall over right now! lol (I'm so tired)

Your son is exhibiting typical toddler behavior with regards to breaking things and hitting people. I'm not too concerned about that. You just need to reiterate that this is unacceptable behavior. However, the obsession with trains and quirks with food are signs that something might be different about him. My son was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome when he was in middle school. He's now almost 18 years old. When he was a baby, he was very good. As a toddler, he got quite temperamental and bang his head on the floor when he's upset. But overall a sweet child to the family. He didn't talk much until he was three but then just surprised us by talking in full sentences. He also learned to read on his own by age three. He just sat next to his sister when she's reading and learned. I thought this was bizarre but my research said it's unheard of.

Anyway, Asperger's is a mild form of autism and quite manageable. The main indicator is the lack of social connection. He couldn't read body language or people's faces. So everything had to be taught. He was also obsessed with different things at different times (trains, turtles, mushrooms, rocks) and until now, he suffers from OCD. He has rituals he has to do before he can get a move on his day and he also has ADD. We are struggling to get him through high school despite the fact that he is very intelligent.

You and your son would benefit from getting him tested for autism. It's mostly a psychological test, nothing bodily intrusive. If he does have it, it's good to start him on programs recommended by doctors to help him develop physically and mentally. I've worked in the public school system with autistic kids and they are teachable. Good luck!

Won't hurt to get a professional opinion. If he does say the big "A" word (my daughter is 3 with ASD) find a DAN! doctor they are the most up to date on research and treatments out there. DO NOT let them put him on any drugs. They don't help. 1 out of 110 kids are diagnosed with ASD today. Good luck! Sounds like he is a handful!

He does walk but he has problems mocking things you do. He doesn't joy in you have to show him with his hands and kind of like walk him throw it. Even poping bubbles, we had to take his hand and show him how. He love's it now!

I've took him to every kind of doctor there is. Last on the list is autism. We have so far found out he has a develmental delay, speech delay, ADHA, and OCD. I don't think it because of shoots. I know something was different when he was 2 weeks old. He would cry for 3-4hrs strait for no reason at all. We figured he was just colic. But after 6 months colic go's away but it never stopped. Then at 9m he wouldn't turn his head when you called his name, he didn't babble, nor come he understand simple comands like sit or stop. He didn't start babbling untill about a months before he turned 2. Also he is in speech! Which seems to be helping alot! The more I find out how to talk to him and what to do. The better the days seem to get. We still have hard days but there not as bad.

Things like this are not because of shots. If that was the case then my older daughter would have symptoms of autism too. When I was pregnant with my youngest i had to get a 3D ultrasound done since they had found a black spot on the brain behind her left eye. I don't remember what it's called but that could be the reason she is what she is.

As a mother myself, I do understand your concerns. The only thing that always comes to my mind is.."shots". I'm so anti of any shots. Are you still taking your little guy to get his shots, if so, that could be the cause of it?.

that its always better to check and be wrong then not check. its a simple thing to meet with a specialist and talk with them and hang out with your son. No harm done, no pokes, no scary doctors, just a nice person to talk with and play some games. the worse thing that could happen is that you find out early that there is an issue and then you learn to help him. go do the testing, your son will only be better off for doing it

Your son is not meeting developmental milestones....two year olds, even typical two year olds in the midst of the terrible twos, meet developmental milestones. You have described a child that is demonstrating many red flag behaviours....developmentally, socially, and behaviourally. If he were my child, I would be pursuing occupational therapy as well as speech therapy.

And, if it is not autism, it is something that needs investigating. If a child is not walking by the age of two, everyone is concerned. Your child is not demonstrating basic receptive or expressive language skills and that is a issue that must be addressed.

Also if I'm out of sight he is even worse. When I leave he sit at the door and crys the whole time I'm gone. Even if its for hours. No body will even tempt to watch him. They can't handle his crying tanstrums and him attacting there kids.

Preston my son dose do the flipping a switch thing. He crys like every 20min. Then his happy again but sometimes you can't calm him down and if you touch him he will hurt his self. He also wakes up at night and will cry for hours. There is no way of calming him down. He doesn't play games at all and has no instessed in playing with other kids his age. Insted he takes from them or attacts them. Even if we play ring around the rosey. He will play with just me but if other kids join in. He will go away and spin by his self. The only words he knows are maaa, choo choo train and tracks. He go's to speech but we are now trying to do more sign lang. with him. He doesn't understand how to ask for something nor can he do yes or no questions. He doesn't understand most of whats said to him. They say all away around he's at about 12m of age.

Sounds like the terrible two's. My daughter has a lot of the characteristics of autism. She has fleeting eye contact, terrible mood swings ie; screaming, crying one second then the next she's smiling and laughing like flipping a switch, she also screams and hits someone if they're too close or touching her. Sometimes she'll throw a fit if you pick her up but as soon as you put her down she's fine. She still doesn't talk as clearly as she should. She can't really play games with others since she doesn't have the comprehension to fully understand the rules (you have to walk her through evey single step and sometimes have to show her) She gets upset if there's major change in her routine. She doesn't use the words what, where,when, why or how.She's a very picky eater. She wants to play with other kids but doesn't know how to approach them or when she does she doesn't play with them for long. A lot of times she's off in her own little world. She spins, flaps her hands,hits her head against the wall, throws herself to the floor and bounces off the walls and furniture.

I know autism is on the rise since now doctors know more about it and are able to recognize and diagnose it better, but not every child that has a behavioral problem has autism.